Bush Dismisses Gas Tax Hike for Bridge Repair

President makes a visit to inspect collapsed bridge

(NEWSER) - President Bush got an aerial view of the collapsed highway bridge in Minneapolis today, as his Marine One helicapter circled the site several times to allow the commander in chief to inspect the wreckage. He listened to briefings on plans for recovery, and met with victims' families. More»

New majority's accomplishments are few, and mostly symbolic

(NEWSER) - Seven months after wresting control of Congress from Republicans, Democrats have failed to make good on their promises, writes the Economist. Almost none of the bills introduced in the first "100 hours" has become law, AG Alberto Gonzalez still has a job, and an Iraq pullout is nowhere in sight. More»

Axing the Bush tax cuts is just the start

(NEWSER) - Tim Geithner said something pretty interesting about the Bush tax cuts in his speech yesterday at the Center for American Progress. The Treasury secretary explained why the administration was letting the tax cuts for the wealthiest 2% of Americans expire now. “The world is likely to view any temporary extension … as a prelude to a permanent extension,” he said, which would undermine world confidence in our willingness to reduce future deficits. More»

(NEWSER) - It took a while, but Alberto Gonzales has a job again. Nearly two years after resigning as George Bush's attorney general, Gonzales has been hired by Texas Tech to teach a course this fall, reports the Austin American-Statesman. Gonzales will be a visiting professor in the political science department and will lecture on the executive branch of government. He also will help recruit minority students. More»

Why the left can't seem to govern

(NEWSER) - Congressional Democrats killed Bill Clinton’s agenda, and Jimmy Carter’s agenda, and it looks like they’re gunning for Barack Obama’s, too, writes Jonathan Chait in the New Republic. George Bush didn’t win the popular vote and had just 50 GOP Senators, but was still able to enact a sweeping far-right agenda, thanks to “near-total partisan discipline”—something Democrats can’t seem to muster. More»